Crestview Bd. hears the latest on NWC

SCOTT TRUXELL/independent editor

CONVOY — The search for new Northwest Conference members is ongoing, according to Crestview High School Principal Dave Bowen.

During Monday night’s school board meeting, Bowen updated the board on the process to replace departing members Ada and Leipsic. Both schools are planning on leaving after the 2023-2024 school year and will join the Blanchard Valley Conference.

NWC conference officials extended invitations to three schools last month and asked for the opportunity to speak with their respective boards, administration and coaches about possibly joining the conference in time for the 2024-2025 school year.

“We’re waiting for feedback from one of those schools as to whether they may come our way or not,” Bowen said. “Two of them have declined to join the Northwest Conference at this time, so we have a meeting on June 26 to continue to discuss our options. We do have some schools that are interested in joining our league and we are weighing those options as well…we are being very patient yet trying to get the dominoes to fall to ensure that the Northwest Conference remains a strong conference.”

Bowen did not name the schools but last week, the Parkway Local Schools Board of Education decided the school should remain a member of the Midwest Athletic Conference. Three other schools – Liberty-Benton, Lima Central Catholic and Fort Loramie previously expressed interest in joining the NWC, with Fort Loramie showing interest as a football-only member.

Bowen also talked about the challenges of scheduling football games with just seven teams in a conference and he mentioned scheduling options in other sports, including a round-robin format. He also addressed rumors that Crestview was considering leaving the NWC and said those rumors aren’t true.

Previous stories about movement in the NWC can be found here and here.

Supplemental contracts for spring sports coaches for the 2023-2024 school year were approved by the board.

Longtime coach Jim Wharton was hired as head baseball coach, while Alison Sawmiller was approved as the new head softball coach. She’s replacing Carl Etzler, who recently retired. John Rosebrock was hired as head track coach, and the board approved a list of other coaches, including Terry Crowle, varsity baseball assistant; Gregg Mosier, JV baseball; Luke Geraradot, eighth grade baseball; Steve Richardson, seventh grade baseball; Carlee Mefferd, varsity soccer assistant; Jada Preston, varsity softball assistant; Chad Pugh, JV softball; Randy Grandstaff and Rachel Alvarez, varsity track assistants; Deanna Grandstaff, middle school track, and Owen Pugh, eighth grade girls basketball.

Kent McClure, Matt Perkins and Kole Rolsten were approved as volunteer baseball coaches. Meagan Fokker and Tim Williman were approved as volunteer soccer coaches. Tom Williman was approved as a volunteer track coach and Meghan Lautzenheiser was approved as a volunteer softball coach.

Other supplemental contracts approved included James Lautzenheiser, middle school Scholastic Bowl advisor; Kate Kroeger, sophomore class advisor; Dylan Hicks, junior class advisor, and Jessie Arnold and Samantha Recker, student council advisors.

Several other personnel items were given the green light by the board, including one-year contracts for Dylan Hicks as a high school intervention specialist; Kate Kroeger, high school language arts; Lindsay Maas, paraprofessional; Madison Danylchuk and Krystal McCollum, food service workers, and Diane Myers, custodian. Hicks, Kroeger, Maas and new Spanish teacher Olivia McGranahan were at the meeting to introduce themselves to board members.

The board also accepted the resignation of Spencer Rolsten, freshman boys basketball coach.

In other business, the board:

• Approved final appropriations for fiscal year 2023.
• Approved a waiver to opt out of career technical education for seventh and eighth grade students.
• Approved lists of teachers and administrators for CPI training, PBIS training “Fundations” training and PECS training.
• Approved lists of teachers for the district threat assessment/safety team and district dyslexia committee.

During a brief report to the board, Superintendent Kathy Mollenkopf gave an update on open enrollment for the 2023-2024 school year.

“All of the open enrollment applications that have been received thus far have been approved and letters have sent to those parents,” she said. “I will give a full update in August once we get everything finalized so we know how many ins we have, how we have outs we have as well.”

The board also accepted three donations:

• $1,729.58 from the Dan Norris Memorial Scholarship Fund for a senior scholarship.
• $250 from Sycamore of Van Wert for the needy student fund.
• $1,200 from the Van Wert Service Club for speech-related program services.

The next meeting of the Crestview Local Schools Board of Education will be held a week later than usual, 6 p.m. Monday, July 24, in the multipurpose room. The board also scheduled a work session for August 1.